Centkifugal tuyere



Aug. 28, 1951 B. R. WRIGHT ET AL CENTRIFUGAL TUYERE Filed May 19, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INENTORJ y f/ v' W l wmL 1951 B. R. WRIGHT,IET AL 2,565,902 I CENTRIFUGAL TUYERE Filed May 19, 1949 Fla. 5

' INVENTORJ BY 72560., f-

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 28, 1951 B. R. WRIGHT ET-AL CENTRIFUGAL TUYERE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 19, 1949 INVENTORIS M BY f/a wzuw Aug.-28, 1951 B. R. WRIGHT ETAL 2,565,902

- 'CENTRIFUGAL TUYERE Filed May 19, 1949- 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORJ' 61441 f. BY 3% Fly Q' Patented Aug. 28} 1951 'CENTRIFUGAL TUYERE Bruce R. Wright, Cleveland, and Foster F. Hillix,

Lakewood, Ohio, assignors to Centrifix Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 19, 1949, Serial No. 94,124

This invention is an improvement in the art of separating various substances from flowing fluids and relates more particularly to an improved centrifugal separating device and tuyere of the fixed type, for separating entrained substances from a carrier fluid.

One of the difficulties heretofore encountered in the separation of entrained substances from a carrier fluid has been the inability to prevent re-entrainment of wild drops of liquid or particles after the same have once been separated or disentrained from the carrier fluid.

It is one of the principal objects of the present invention to eliminate this disadvantage and to provide means which will efficientlyseparate an entrained substance from a carrier medium without permitting l e-entrainment of any part of the separated substance with the carrier medium.

Another object of our invention is the provision of a separator of the type described which is extremely simple in construction and which lends itself to economical manufacture and which is highly efiicient in use.

A further object of our invention consists in a separator employing a tuyere of the fixed type which is so designed that it substantially eliminates all vortex action.

Another object of the invention is a separator employing a tuyere which is substantially conical in shape and which is provided with a multiplicity of blades arranged in a pattern around the tuyere, there being provided means by which substances separated from the carrier medium passing through the tuyere may be guided and directed along the blades in a direction from the apex of the tuyere toward its base and thence between the adjacent blades to the internal wall of the easing, where the separated substances are then caused to travel toward and through a drain or outlet.

Another object of the invention consists in a separator of the above mentioned type which is characterized by a higher degree of efficiency over the conventional centrifugal separators of the prior art, and which further possesses the ability to separate entrained substances from a carrier medium over a much Wider range of gas and vapor flow than is possible with the conventional type of centrifugal separators. Furthermore, the invention will function efiiciently at very low flows as distinguished from less eificient operation of the conventional type of separator.

Other objects and advantages of our invention will become more apparent as the following description of an embodiment thereof progressea,

'7 Claims. (Cl. 183-80) reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a tuyere embodying our invention,

Figure 2 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 1 showing the tuyere from below and within,

Figure 3 is a development view illustrating the manner in which the tuyere may be punched out prior to its being rolled or formed into substantially conical shape as shown in Figures 1 and 2,

Figure 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the tuyere shown in Figures 1 and 2,

Figure 6 is a vertical section through the tuyre, taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a sectional view of a separator embodying our invention showing the inlet fitting and our improved tuyere, and,

Figure 8 is a vertical section through a separator embodying our invention illustrating in addition to the tuyere the drain and outlet ports together with means for preventing wild drops or particles below the tuyere from being reentrained in the outlet passage.

In carrying out our invention we have shown the same applied to a separator unit in Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings in which the separator shell or casing l is provided with an inlet or fitting 2 at its upper end in axial alignment with the casing, the upper portion of the walls forming the inlet chamber 3 being domed at d from the sides of the casing upwardly and inwardly toward the fitting 2. The fitting 2 may be threaded internally to receive a threaded conduit through which the carrier medium and the entrained sub stances are caused to enter the receiving cham her 3. A tuyere 5 having a base band 6 and a plurality of blades 3 integral therewith is disposed within the casing l and permanently secured thereto by welding or the like, the vertical axis of the tuyre being in alignment with the axis of the casing I. Vertically disposed within the casing I is an outlet passage 8. This passage opens below the bottom of the tuyere 5 and is adapted to transmit the unladened carrier medium therethrough to a suitable point of disposal while the substances disentrained from the carrier medium are caused to travel downwardly from the base of the tuyere and the blades thereof along and in contact with the inner wall of the casing where they may be drained through the drain fitting 9. If desired a vent I may be provided for the casing I.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 1 to 6 inclusive in which we have illustrated in detail the construction of a form of tuyere embodying our invention, it will be seen that we have provided a tuyre which may be constructed at low cost and by simple mechanical methods such as by stamping or punching the same from a sheet of material. Referring more particularly to Figure 3 in which the tuyere is shown in a developed view, the tuyre unit comprises a base band 6 and a plurality of blades 1 formed integral therewith and projecting upwardly from the base. Each of the blades is identical and converges upwardly from its base terminating in a free end H. As shown in Figure 4 a portion along one longitudinal edge of each of the respective blades is provided to form a ledge for purposes which will be described more fully hereinafter.

In forming the tuyere to conical form as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 5 and 6, the blank is rolled to circular form the free ends of the blades converging to form an apex 5a, while the longitudinal portions along one edge of each of the blades 7, as at [2, are formed or disposed outwardly of the axis of the tuyre. The base of each blade is formed along the broken lines I3, M and I5 to provide a guide surface l5 which projects downwardly toward the base ring 6 thus disposing the blade in a plane intersecting the base band B. The leading edge I! of each blade will thus extend from the upper portion of the band directly to the top of the blade at the apex of the tuyere while the trailing edge at carrying the outwardly formed guiding ledge l2 will be disposed in a direction from within the confines of the band to the top of the tuyere, the trailing edge l8 and ledge 12 of each blade being thereby spaced from the next adjacent blade looking in a counter-clockwise direction in Figure 1 so that they will underlie in spaced relation the leading edge of the said next adjacent blade. The space I9 between each of the adjacent blades is provided for the passage of the carrier fluid from a point outside the tuyere to within the tuyre. It is to be noted that the leading portion of each of the blades at and adjacent the leading edge I! 0 lies in the periphery of the base band 6, while the trailing portion is disposed inwardly of the band periphery and in a plane intersecting the periphery of the band B. The relation of the blades with respect to the base band 6 is such that the carrier fluid and the entrainment passing between the blades will be caused to whirl in a counter-clockwise direction in Figure 5, at a velocity sufficient to liberate the entrained matter in the carrier fluid.

Referring again to Figure 3 that portion of the tuyere indicated in the substantially triangular area at 20 is removed from the respective blades. This is for purposes of clearance and further to provide an unobstructed path for the disentrained matter collecting on and passing along the blades and their respective ledges l2 to the inner wall of the band B as at 2!.

It will be noted that the passages i9 between adjacent blades are narrow and extend from a point adjacent to and behind the base ring 6' to a point very closely adjacent the apex 5a of the tuyere.

The operation of our invention may be described as follows:

A laden carrier fluid is directed axially into the casing I through the inlet 2 and, entering the chamber 3, will strike the tuyere 5 first at the apex thereof and thence downwardly, the major portion of the entrainment or mist impinging upon blades '1 to be guided downwardly along the blades and the ledges l2 and away from the center or axis of the tuyere to the outer edge of the tuyre at the base of the blades 1 where the entrainment will then pass over the surfaces l6 and through the openings between the blades and continue on downwardly along the inside wall of the casing l. Because of the substantially tangential pattern of the blades, the carrier medium passing therebetween will form a whirling mass. During this action, any entrainment impinging on the blades 1 and tending to travel transversely ofthe blades toward the ledges l2 will be caught thereby and thence led downwardly of the blades to a point where it will join with other entrainment, such as that which passes through the openings in the cone section which is thrown to the outside edge of the whirling mass where it joins other entrainment that does not get through the openings between the respective blades.

It will be noted that by virtue of our invention there is no tendency for any of the entrainment to flow toward the center or axis of the tuyre, or its apex. This is due primarily to the fact that the openings between the blades extend up close to the apex of the conical tuyere and thereby allow fluid to pass into the vortex of the whirling mass within the tuyere, thus breaking what would otherwise be a low-pressure area in this location. Under such circumstances the tendency to draw disentrained substances back into entrainment is avoided.

It should be understood that with our invention all of the entrainment is led or guided to the inside wall of the casing by means of the blades l, the ledges l2 and the surfaces it in a continuous guided path without the necessity of causing the entrainment to jump across gaps as is the case in the conventional type of centrifugal separators with which we are familiar. It will be seen, therefore, that by virtue of the present invention re-entrainment of the separated substances is eliminated.

Referring again to Figure 8, we have illustrated means whereby to prevent the re-entrainment in the outlet passage {3 of stray or wild drops or particles which occasionally break loose from the whirling mass and approach the open end of the outlet tube 8.

Such means may comprise a circular member 33 mounted on the upper end of the outlet tube 8, said member being formed with a series of spaced blades 3! arranged in a helical pattern around the member 3!}. Thus wild drops or particies landing near the open end of the outlet 8 are guided away and eventually pass to the bottom of the casing and out through the drain 9.

Various changes-may be made in the details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts ofour inventionwithout departing from the purposes of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

We claim; a

1. In a centrifugal separator, a casing having a fluid inlet passage and an outlet passage, and means between said passages for imparting a whirl to a fluid stream passing through said cas ing, said means comprising a tuyre of conical form secured at itsr base to the inner wall of said casing, said tuyere comprising a plurality of blades supported attheir bases on said tuyre base and converging at their upper ends to form an apex adjacent one of said passages, said blades each having one edge formed out of the plane of blade to provide a ledge for capturing entrainment impinging on said blades and guiding the same toward said base and to said casing inner Wall.

2. A whirl imparting tuyere for centrifugal separators comprising as a unitary structure a body of general hollow conical form including a base portion and a plurality of blades converging from said base portion, each of said blades having an edge formed out of the plane of the blade and within the confines of the base portion to provide a guide for entrainment impinging on said blades, whereby said entrainment is guided along said blades and along the inner surface of said base to the inner wall of said casing.

3. A whirl imparting tuyre for centrifugal separators comprising as a unitary structure a body of general hollow conical form including a base portion and a plurality of blades spaced in overlapping relation and converging from said base portion, each of said blades having an edge formed out of the plane of the blade to provide a guide for entrainment impinging on said blades, whereby said entrainment is caused to move along said blades and over the inner surface of said base, said entrainment guiding edge of the respective blades being spaced from and underlying the adjacent edge of an adjacent blade.

4. A whirl imparting tuyere for centrifugal separators comprising as a unitary structure a body of general hollow conical form includin a base portion and a plurality of overlapping blades converging from said base portion, each of said blades having an edge formed out of the plane of the blade to provide a guide for entrainment impinging on said blades, whereby said entrainment is caused to move along said blades and over the inner surface of said base, said entrainment guiding edge of the respective blades being spaced from and underlying the adjacent edge of an adjacent blade, each of said blades having a surface connecting the blade With said base and lying out of the planes of the blade and said guide portion.

5. A whirl imparting tuyere for centrifugal separators comprising as a unitary structure a body of general hollow conical form including a base portion and a plurality of overlapping blades converging from said base portion, each of said blades having an edge formed out of the plane of the blade to provide a guide for entrainment impinging on said blades, whereby said entrainment is caused to move along said blades and over the inner surface of said base, said entrainment guiding edge of the respective blades being spaced from and underlying the adjacent edge of an adjacent blade substantially throughout the length of said blades.

6. In a centrifugal separating device, a casing havin an inlet for an entraining fluid, an outlet, a conical tuyere device fixed in said casing between the inlet and outlet and providing the only means of fluid passage between the same, said tuyere comprising a base secured to the inner wall of said casing, a plurality of blades converging from said base to form an apex portion near said inlet, said blades each having an edge portion formed outwardly of said blade to capture entrainment impinging upon said blade and to guide the same toward said base inner surface and thence directly to said casing inner wall, and means in said casing and associated with said outlet for preventing re-entrainment of wild drops or particles with the unladen fluid passing into said outlet.

7. In a centrifugal separator, a combination with a casing having an inlet passage and an outlet passage of a tuyere in said casing and between said passages, said tuyere having a base secured directly to the inner wall of the casing and a plurality of tuyere blades converging from said base and out of contact with said casing inner Wall to form an apex projecting axially toward one of said passages, the leading portions of said respective blades at the base thereof lying substantially in the periphery of said base, the trailing portions of said blades being disposed inwardly of said base periphery and lying in planes intersecting said base periphery.

BRUCE R. WRIGHT. FOSTER F. HILLIX.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

